The Assassin Next Door
by SleepingNanny
Summary: She is a highly trained assassin from the Phantom Lord organization. All she needs to do is to run away from the police, but having two officers living in the same apartment building with her makes things more impossible. Before they even know it, the most twisted cat and mouse game has begun. Dark!AU Rating will change in some chapters.
1. The Captain of SPUA

Gyahaha! Let me enjoy my fifth year of writing stories in this site. Ain't it fun~ Getting back to the topic, this story was inspired by those other fanfics I've read about Juvia being a highly trained assassin. Don't get me wrong, okay? I am a Gruvia and Nalu fan, but I wanted to try writing about this crack pairing. By the way, please take note that the rating will change in the future chapters due to Juvia's **dangerous** love.

 **DIsclaimer:** Oh, you know I don't own Fairy Tail. It's far from being mine. HAHA!

 **Summary:** Because Juvia didn't really expect this to happen. The captain of the special police force, Sabertooth, living in the same flat with an assassin means nothing but a ruckus.

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. .

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She grasped the iron bars that were separating her from freedom. Deep gashes, cuts, and bruises marred her pearly white skin. Blood stains covered her tattered clothes, even her hair had turned into brown due to her own dried blood. Every scar on her body told a story, and none of them were safe for a child to hear.

Whips resounded throughout the vicinity, together with the cries of the young children who were newly captured. The pain in her chest was long gone. Pity was long replaced by apathy. Before, it horrified her how kids younger than her would be experiencing such cruelty, but now, she just couldn't bring herself to care anymore.

"This one is good at cooking! You won't have to go back home and prepare meals after a tiring day. Not only that, look at his muscles! He can fight for your safety! Buy him for 15,000 jewels only!"

 _The slave market._

"If anyone of you favors cute girls, then this little kid here is just for you!"

 _Is where I learned the importance of survival._

Pedophiles shouted in excitement as the seller dragged a chained girl onto the stage. She watched her shake in fear, staring with wide eyes at all the middle-aged men filling the entire area.

"The bid starts from 20,000 jewels!"

 _I'm a rejected product…_

"25,000 jewels!"

"30,000!"

"33!"

"38!"

 _Because I wasn't obedient to my masters._

"40,000 jewels!"

"40,000 jewels from the man wearing a red tuxedo! Can anybody give a higher amount? Going once! Going twice! Aaaaaand SOLD!"

Clouded blue eyes focused on watching the bidding, failing to notice the two figures approaching her small cage. Beside her tiny prison stood the cage of her best friend who was eyeing the males heading towards their direction.

"But, sir, those kids are not for sale! They are failures! I assure you, they are no good slaves, dear customer."

They listened quietly to their conversation. Her best friend was snarling at the buyer, noticing how he scrutinized her like his lab rat.

"I don't care. I'll be happy to buy your rejected products for a high price." The customer stared at her filthy blue locks before his sight shifted down her dull blue eyes. He scratched his chin in wonder. "Hmm… although I never thought I would see a girl here. What's the problem with her?" He asked, taking note of the troubled face of the dealer.

"She has been… a bad girl, sir."

"And how can a cute girl like her be bad?"

The hesitation was evident in their conversation. It seemed that this girl had serious business.

"That child was previously a thief before we got her. We tried to discipline her, but she ended up… killing... her masters."

A smirk formed on the mysterious guy's lips, and at that moment, they all knew he was planning on something grim.

"I'll take her... plus this boy who keeps throwing daggers at me. Perhaps, I could teach him how to throw a real dagger."

The dealer gave him a wary look. But what can he say? He was willing to pay, so why not? Handing him the contract, Jose Porla signed his name on the piece of paper.

Once the jewels were handed, Juvia and Gajeel knew their lives will never be the same. They gazed at him from their narrow prison, giving him a full view of the faces that would soon be his ace card. Both of them were perfect!

He bent down in front of Juvia's cage, curling his fingers around her wavy locks. Gajeel, on the other side, sneered at him behind the bars, seeming like a ferocious animal seeking for its prey. This only made the grin on his face widen even more, and now he was sure he chose the right children.

"I can't believe I got myself a killing machine for a cheap price." He let out a malicious laugh, not minding the attention he was receiving from the people around him.

 _Since that fateful day, I've been known as "Arachnid" of the Phantom Lord… the Black Widow that watches from the shadows of the night._

. . .

. .

.

"GAH!" The blond suddenly jolted on his seat, surprising everyone inside the meeting room. By everyone, this included his older brother who happened to be THE GENERAL of the famous police force: Sabertooth.

Laxus glared at his sibling from his spot. He knew the captain of the Special Force Unit A had no plans on listening to his speech, but he didn't thought of the possibility of him daring to dream while he was talking.

The silence continued until another yelp was heard on the other side of the far table.

Of course, they all knew whom it came from.

"Captain Natsu of SFUB (Special Force Unit B), I am used to you sleeping before the meeting could even start," he said before facing the other offender. "As for you, Sting, it's quite a surprise you let yourself get caught this time. I guess the two of you wouldn't mind the colonel looking after you during the next meeting."

At the thought of the infamous scarlet head, they shook their head vigorously with sweats dripping down their forehead.

They thought Laxus' scolding would never end, since he appeared like he didn't need air to speak. His words came out swiftly next to the other that Natsu thought he was challenging them in a rap battle.

So, as the idiot he was, he cheered him on.

"You go, man! You must be better than Wiz Khalifa!"

Sting was sure he heard something pop.

Another wave of ranting could have battered their ears if it weren't for Mirajane putting a stop to their useless argument. A cough escaped the General's lips as a faint blush spread on his cheeks. "Now, where did I left?"

What he didn't know was each official in the room was restraining themselves from smirking at the honorable man.

Sting tried to give his entire attention at their topic, but every time he would hear the word "mission," he cannot help remembering his first and only failed task. It was the greatest humiliation he experienced throughout his whole life so far. The others didn't mind his failure; however, to him, he felt his pride go down the drain.

He's a very competitive man, and with the fact that Natsu had a clean record of accomplished missions, the frustration he felt grew day by day.

The incident occurred a long time ago, yet he recalled it clearly with accurate details.

He swore he will redeem himself.

 _When I find you, Black Widow, I'll make sure you'll regret crossing paths with me._

Little did they know... the most twisted cat and mouse game had begun.

* * *

.

. .

 _Just to get you,_

 _I'm doing whatever works._

 _._

 _. ._

 _. . ._

* * *

Yes, I know what you're thinking. Yup! This fic is also inspired by a song. Anyway, please review, so I'll know what to improve on besides my grammatical errors. If anyone of you is confused, Juvia's real title is _Arachnid_ , but the media and the rest of the people call her _Black Widow,_ since she remains as an anonymous assassin known for her venomous attacks.

Again, reviews are highly appreciated!


	2. Iron and Poison

_Adoration can sometimes be addicting._

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The birds sang happily by the window, flapping their wings as though they were dancing with the wind. White fluffy clouds teasingly showed portions of the clear blue sky. Old ladies cleaned their yard while kids ran freely on the streets, playing with their own group of friends. It was a wonderful day all in all, the reason why someone did not hesitate on using his full force to open the window, creating a loud bang which he was sure had woken up the entire people in the apartment.

"Today would be the best day," the blond began in a small whisper, followed by a shout that reached the next street, "to not give a fuck of what's happening!"

He grinned at the heaven like a cheshire cat.

A giggle from the side suddenly caught his attention. His head peeked outside the window, turning to the door next to his. Oh, it was _her_.

"What kind of a police officer are you?" She laughed half-heartedly. If his calculation was correct, they had known each other for a year now. It started when he saw her carrying several boxes into her room. To say he was concern for the girl wasn't a complete lie, but of course, since a hot chick was there before him, why not make a move? He helped her unpack and managed to get acquainted.

However, all his playful flirting seemed to have backfired at him as he began to open up to the girl, sharing more information which even he thought he shouldn't have shared. Yes, one of this was him being a member of Sabertooth.

Without him being aware, he had put her name out of the friend category.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite girl. Juvia." He joked, earning him a small blush from the pretty lady.

He watched her fumble with her keys from embarrassment, making him laugh at the scene. Her expression never failed to amuse him. She was a puzzle piece that completed his day. Juvia glared at him– like what he had expected– before entering her comfort zone, shutting the door a bit louder than normal.

He flinched at the sound. "Did I cross the line?"

After wearing more decent clothes, he went out of his room and headed straight to her side. "Juvia."

Knuckles met wood.

He heard her growl and mumble incoherent speeches under her breath; then, the door opened, revealing her blue head and brilliant sapphire orbs. Mavis! He loved those eyes so much.

"What does Sting-kun want?" He felt his ears burn at the view of her pouting face. Really, it was the most adorable picture he had ever seen.

Wait, let him engrave that into his mind.

When she received silence in return, she tilted her head to the side and stared at him questioningly.

 _This girl… I'll eat her up alive if I can._

"Are you free this Saturday? There's this fancy new restaurant I saw while I was on my way to work." He sure prayed it did not come out sounding hopeful, since he was not planning on giving himself away and ruining their friendship for the mean time. It would be awkward for them both if she figured him out.

She placed her index finger on the edge of her lips, contemplating on his offer. Sting thought he was currently experiencing the longest five seconds of his whole life. However, when she finally nodded, all the waiting– not that he waited that long– was worth it in the end.

Failing to contain his happiness, a huge grin made its way to his face.

 _The things I do for this girl._

. . .

. . .

A beautiful albino stared at the man being thrown like a sack of potatoes into the prison cell. She watched their men mock the prisoner after locking the gate of his compartment. Mira knew they dared to do such acts due to the bars' assurance of safety. Jet and Droy wouldn't have done that if the criminal was not chained and locked up in an electrified chamber.

"So… how did you capture him?" The two males turned to look at her, wearing arrogant smirks as though they were the one who did all the good job.

"Actually, it was Natsu-san's team who caught him, although it took them all day to finish the mission. There were a lot of casualties as well, but the Head was able to cover them up."

Saluting to the Colonel, both subordinates took their leave.

Silence conquered the place the moment Jet and Droy were already far enough to hear. She turned back to the prisoner with a glint of mirth in her eyes. His piercings shone under the large amount of light provided by the room. Black cloak ripped at the edges, complemented by his long, spiky, black hair.

A dangerous man without a doubt.

"Well, Iron Fang, what an unexpected visit you gave me." She giggled, observing him as he tore the chains apart through force. "These don't work on me," he said in an intimidatingly calm manner.

"I'm hoping you won't be strangling them once you get out of there. Anyway, be ready for an interrogation. McGarden, Scarlet, and Eucliffe will be taking over. I trust you won't say a word." She waved her hand and headed out the door, but before she could fully close it, his voice snatched her attention.

"Oi, Catclaw, aren't you going to set me free?" He yelled from his spot.

"I can't do that. I might cause suspicions... something a spy should avoid, right?"

"Then, who the heck would?"

That's when her usual smile switched into a smirk. Three words were all that it took for the man to wear a similar expression.

"Wait for Arachnid." He caught a glimpse of her devilish smile before it disappeared behind the door.

It wasn't long after Mira left when a red head barged in, together with several other men following behind her. She was wearing a badge which looked awfully the same as the albino's, only it stated "Special Force Colonel" rather than "Main Branch Colonel". Her body form told him that the title wasn't accidentally placed on her name. She obviously gained it with pride.

One of the men pulled a lever, cutting the electric current running through his cell.

"Power is now off," he stated monotonously.

The high official nodded and signaled for them to continue their work. "Just be careful. He seems to have broken his restraints. Lieutenant Cheney, inform your captain and Levy of our arrival."

. . .

. . .

The sun had set on the horizon, allowing the moon to show off its magnificent beauty. Stars sparkled brightly in the dark sky, but they hid pretty well behind the passing clouds.

It was a magnificent night…

Until the cries of the crows filled the silent town.

Alarms suddenly went off inside the Sabertooth Headquarters. Every corner of the place kept flashing red from the sirens' light, alerting the entire police force in the gigantic building.

" _Attention! Prisoner 107 has escaped Area 9! All combat teams, please proceed the search with your respective leaders. Control unit, close all possible escape routes and weaponry areas. The target was last sighted at floor 25."_

Footsteps echoed almost everywhere, besides two pairs of feet which found no problem advancing to their destination. They created no sound, skillfully making it from corner to corner without being spotted, even while transferring to a different route.

Blue eyes scanned the surroundings underneath them.

 _I'm guessing this is the control room._

Various technologies occupied the room with people buzzing around in panic. Who wouldn't be? They could die in a blink of an eye if an assassin– especially from Phantom Lord– was on the loose, and horrifyingly, nowhere to be seen.

Juvia took a glimpse at Gajeel beside her. It was a good thing that the vent was a little bit wide for the two of them.

"Shutting all possible escape routes in 60 seconds."

 _Shit!_

Juvia looked at the large screen in front, gawking at the red numbers counting down to zero. They needed to get out of here fast!

Sharp eyes moved calculatingly until they noticed a small portion of the screen. There was a map of the headquarters at the side bar. It was small but visible to her well-trained sight.

With just a single look, the image was inscribed in her memory.

"I need your help, Gajeel-kun."

. . .

. . .

Blood pumped wildly in his veins. He could taste the excitement in the air as he ran in search of the assassin. These cases were rare, and so it had sent his heart pounding against his chest from exhilaration.

The first prisoner to escape Area 9… the jailhouse where no criminals, who attempted to escape, came out alive.

 _Phantom Lord… what kind of murderers do you house?_ He gritted his teeth at the thought. No matter how much he hated to admit it, the illegal organization was making their lives a lot harder than usual. They had never captured a member of the opposing group up until just recently. Usually, the assassins would commit suicide in an instant before they could even touch them.

He didn't know why this Iron Fang defied the rest.

Without a warning, the power source shut down, wrapping the entire building in darkness. The barriers halted from blocking the escape routes, leaving some windows and exits half open.

Confusion became the police's common ground as they all looked around the area.

Then, a faint crash pulled the blond's attention back to the problem at hand.

Making a mad dash towards the source of the sound, he practically shoved anything or anyone out of his way.

Then, he saw it.

The symbol of a spider at the back of the intruder's black shirt.

" _Black Widow."_ He snarled.

Even with her back facing him, she would recognize that voice anywhere.

She looked behind her shoulder and stared at the seething captain, noting the way his fingers twitched.

In one swift motion, he pulled his gun out and shoot, aiming it perfectly at her vital points.

Unfortunately, she wasn't a disappointment. She had predicted his motives and planned ahead, dodging every bullet that came to her.

To say he was utterly shock at her next move was an understatement. The chance of her not jumping right out of the window flew out of his mind as he found himself staring at her descending body. Was she nuts? They were standing on the 25th floor!

He sprinted to the window and searched for her falling figure. He saw her twist her body, facing the dark sky, before grabbing a small item from her pocket. Acting on instinct, he aimed the gun at her once again and pulled the trigger, managing to wound her left shoulder.

This seemed to have taken her aback, forgetting for a brief second what she was supposed to be doing.

It was as though time had slowed down.

He saw her pull out a grenade and threw it at his direction…

And he was too stun to move an inch...

 _Is this the end?_

The sound of explosion boomed throughout the entire town.

Sting stared at the enormous hole with wide eyes, then, to his Lieutenant who was panting like there's no tomorrow. Well, perhaps there wouldn't be a next day for them if he didn't pull themselves in time. He really thought it was the end of their lives. His stupid captain just had to be an idiot to not realize Black Widow's scheme. It was a good thing he came here a little bit earlier, bolting to the window right after the captain.

"Damn… got away." Sting gritted his teeth due to the pain caused by the blast's impact.

A few moments later of gaping at the destruction, realization struck them hard.

 _Wait, wasn't there another–_

Their unfinished question was answered by another voice entering their hearing range.

"Gihi. That spider sure gave me a huge exit."

Their eyes snapped to the grinning man who hopped from wall to wall in an abnormally fast rate. They almost choked after seeing him escape through the hole like what his comrade did.

What's with them? What kind of landing technique did their master teach them?

. . .

. . .

The very same night, Sting had never felt so exhausted before. His eyelids immediately closed the second he landed on his bed, finding himself drifting fast to his usual empty dreams.

Unbeknown to him, a certain someone from next door was having a hard time falling asleep due to an injured shoulder.

 _Damn you! I'll make sure you pay, Sting Eucliffe!_

 _._

 _. ._

 _. . ._

* * *

 _I'll be your drug_

 _The obsession you cannot shrug_

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 _._

 _. ._

 _. . ._

My dear readers, thank you so much for reading this crappy fanfic! Kindly please leave a review so I can improve on my writing skill. Sorry if there are a lot of grammatical errors. I know, my english sucks. I've been trying to work on that. Wait for the next update!


	3. Black, White, and Grey

_Let's remove A, E, and O_

 _So U and I can be together_

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_

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Rogue never thought that the day he'll fear his captain would come.

They were best of friends, and really…

It scared him to see him this way.

Sting was literally tiptoeing, hopping, twirling, everything which he swore he'll only do once he's dead. The one thing lacking was the ballet jump–

Oh! He just did it.

His eyebrow twitched as the blond repeated his actions in his apartment.

He jumped.

A vase shattered.

He twirled.

A family picture was hit, and it flew across Rogue's face.

He jumped again.

Accidentally…

Kicking…

His pet…

Frosch.

"SHADOW PUNCH!" With a powerful uppercut, Sting literally flew towards the roof with a loud bang. Everything inside shook from the impact, causing some items to fall on the floor.

He grabbed his adorable cat and patted its head. To his relief, it did not seem to be injured… he had no idea about his captain, though. "Why are you even this happy?" He glared at the figure whose head was stuck in the ceiling.

None of his statements were comprehendible at first, but that was until he managed to pull himself out and successfully land on the ground. It was as though there wasn't any swelling on his chin when he beamed at him. "I have a date with Juvia!"

Rogue took a moment to register this information.

"Juvia? You mean, the girl next door?"

"The one and only!" The grin on his face could not widen even more. He was floating on cloud nine! In his own perspective, he was walking normally; however, as Rogue see it, he was skipping and bouncing like a little boy who had gotten his favorite toy.

"Let me get this clear. You asked me to come here so I can watch over the house and babysit your pet, Lector." There was a hint of annoyance at the edge of his voice, and Sting wasn't deaf to this. Honestly, he can't blame the guy after he woke him up five in the morning, since he would be feeling the same way if it was the other way around.

"Aw, you know I've been dreaming of this day."

"Tch. Fine."

It was during this kind of moment Rogue wondered why he was friends with the guy.

. . .

. . .

"Wow, this place IS fancy!" Juvia looked around the extravagant restaurant, eyeing each chandelier which sparkled under the sunset-colored light. There were rose petals scattered on their table, and a few that were elegantly placed at the corners of the marble floor.

Sting smirked after seeing her reaction. "You think I'll bring you to some cheap restaurant?" He wasn't expecting a response, so it sort of taken him aback when she answered.

She gave him a mischievous smile and said, "If it is Sting-kun, then Juvia won't mind."

Something suddenly blocked his airway upon witnessing her sweet smile. He tried gulping it down, but the look she gave him was making the action a lot more difficult to do. Her next words, on the other hand, had finally choked the life out of him.

"Because Juvia is very fond of Sting-kun."

He spat the wine he was currently drinking; luckily, all the tables were far apart from each other, so no strangers received his shower of blessing. He looked at her disbelievingly as she wiped his lips using his napkin. Her laugh was enchanting, a sound –he was sure– belonged to a fairy.

 _One day, you'll be mine._

Their conversation went on, and it was safe for him to conclude that both of them were enjoying their time together. With all the other couples surrounding them, Sting couldn't stop himself from thinking they were one of them, too.

Oh, the bliss!

"Sting-kun, please do excuse Juvia. She needs to go to the ladies' room." He nodded, watching her hips sway as she walked towards the comfort room.

 _Dang!_ The smirk on his lips was something he couldn't hold to himself.

 _Ring! Ring! Ring!_

His daydreaming was interrupted by a sudden vibration inside his pocket. He pulled out his phone and read the name flashed on the screen. "Gray?" It was unusual for Natsu's lieutenant to give him a call, if he did so, it always involved their line of work.

Swiping the green icon, a familiar voice came out of the speaker.

"Sting, Natsu and I are here in Deborah Restaurant. I thought I had a glimpse of you, the reason why I wanted to ask where you are," the person on the other line said.

Sting searched the area for a particular pink-haired captain. "Yeah, I'm in Deborah. Why ask?"

He heard him snicker before answering, "Good. Lend us a hand."

He didn't like where this conversation was heading.

"There are only the two of us working on this task. We did not expect the criminal to enter a crowded place. We need your help to– at least– prevent casualties."

"A criminal? Look, I don't want to get involved in this as of the moment. I'm with Juvia—"

"Hey, you signed up for this. Outside or not, you're still an officer who's supposed to be kicking ass 24/7— Oof! Sorry."

The blond gripped the velvet tablecloth in frustration. He had been planning on avoiding distractions for the sake of his time with Juvia, but his job seemed to love him too much to let go for a day. He wanted to decline. The only thing stopping him was Gray's last statement; he had taken his point quite well.

"Sting? Are you going to accept or not?" Did he have to ask? The bastard already had the answer to his question.

A sigh was made from defeat.

. . .

. .

"Hey, you signed up for this. Outside or not, you're still an officer who's supposed to be kicking ass 24/7– Oof! Sorry."

Gray was just coming out of the men's room when he accidentally bumped into a lady who was heading for the other door next to where he stood. Both of them muttered a short apology before returning to their previous affairs. He placed his ear back to the phone, taking a last glance at the bluenette entering the ladies' room, having a glimpse of her curvaceous body covered by a blue blouse and black leather pants. Her sleeves were rolled up, showing off her smooth and pearly white skin.

He listened to the clack of her dark boots until it was out of his hearing range, and It was only then he realized the long silence on the phone.

"Sting?" He tried to call out. "Are you going to accept it or not?"

. . .

. .

" _Arachnid, the master has another mission for you. This will be a piece of cake, my sweetie!" -Catclaw_

Juvia read the message silently, checking if the people beside her were prying into her personal business. When no one seemed to mind her presence, she tapped the reply button and began typing her own message.

" _Why are you sending me a message? I thought the Council has access to anyone's conversation? Aren't you supposed to take precaution?"_ As soon as it was sent, another beep was heard from her phone.

"That was fast," she whispered upon seeing the name "Catclaw" on the screen.

" _No worries, darling! Freed created this cute device which serves as Phantom's very own satellite. It processes all the signals from our members' devices while remaining undetected to everything else; meaning, all you have to fear is someone from outside the organization skimming through your messages and trash." -Catclaw_

" _No problem! I always have it empty. Anyway, what's the task?" -Arachnid_

" _Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. There's a client who wants Shad Madelforg dead. The target is a known criminal who betrayed the council two years ago. He has been changing his appearance since then, but Evergreen managed to locate his current location and gather images of his recent profile. I'll send you the updated file." -Catclaw_

She opened the sent folder, scrutinizing the image of a 32-year-old man with red hair and squinty brown eyes. The data told her he always had a gun hidden in the inside pocket of his jacket. As if on cue, a gunshot resounded from the outside, instantly catching her full attention. Screams filled the entire room, followed by stompings from the numerous crowd. Putting on her black gloves, she banged the door open and scanned the event with dread filling her. The amount of people inside the area was alarming her, since one wrong move may reveal her connection to Phantom Lord.

In the midst of the uproar, she saw a flash of yellow. Several meters away from her, Sting was looking around in dread. She did not have to ask who he was searching for; the movement of his lips said it all. He was calling her name, wishing to the gods to receive an answer.

She retained the huge distance between them as she surveyed the place.

There were surveillance cameras placed around the upper walls. Calculating the range of the devices' vision, she went to their blind spot and waited for an opportunity.

Natsu and Gray were chasing the criminal in a fast pace, slowly getting closer to their target. "Gray, shoot his leg!"

 _5 seconds to finish my job…_ She bit her lower lip.

"Gotcha— Wha? I lost my gun!"

The two officers successfully kept track of Shad while the latter, on the other hand, was losing his speed. Once they were five arms length away, Juvia found the perfect chance.

Nobody noticed her move as she shoot the chain which was hanging on the ceiling. Her actions were too quick for an ordinary person to see, and in one snap, the giant chandelier fell down on Shad, missing Natsu by an inch.

It happened so fast that the only thing they processed was the decapitated body of Madelforg lying in front of them.

She smirked at the bloody scene.

 _Mission accomplished._

"Thanks for the gun, Fullbuster." The words came out in a soft whisper as she threw the offensive weapon on a random table. The sound echoed inside the empty restaurant, and when they turned around to see what it was…

Gray's silver magnum came into view.

. . .

. . .

"Where have you been? You got me all worried!"

She liked how he worried about her, but seriously, this was overly exaggerated. He had been cupping her cheeks, squeezing her in a bear hug, and Mavis knew what else he'd been doing. "Sting-kun, how many times does Juvia have to tell you she's fine? She came out with the other people, thinking you were already there." She pouted after he gave her another hug.

"I… I'm just glad you're safe." He buried his head in the curve of her neck, sending shivers down her spine.

The blond continued to embrace her while she looked over his shoulder in boredom.

Well, that was until she saw _him_ staring at her intently.

Gray was watching their exchange from afar. At first he didn't care; however, it all changed the second she stared back at him with amusement evident on her pretty face. Out of the blue, a memory of an occurrence from an hour ago flashed in his mind.

" _Hey, you signed up for this. Outside or not, you're still an officer who's supposed to be kicking ass 24/7– Oof! Sorry."_

He remembered.

They met before.

" _Gray, shoot his leg!"_

" _Gotcha— Wha? I lost my gun!"_

Puzzle pieces linked together.

. . .

. .

The moon was bright, yet the streets were dark.

Inside her room, Juvia stood by the window.

Even with all those shadows conquering the streets, she knew someone was there…

He was there, observing her like a detective…

Inspecting the mystery that will haul him into temptation.

"I think I'll add more grey in my black and white world."

.

. .

. . .

* * *

Curiosity killed the cat.

* * *

. . .

. .

.

Okay, ladies and gentlemen, I have decided to make this a Gruving (GrayxJuviaxSting) fanfic, although I still don't know who she would end up with in the end. You guys can help me decide. *wink*


	4. What Awaits Me

_. .  
_

 _. . ._

* * *

 _Friendship starts without the knowledge of the people involved._

* * *

 _. . ._

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_

 _ **9 years ago...**_

The scent of meat and rotting fish filled the air. Everywhere a person went, the noise didn't get faint. A lot of people were shouting prices, attracting customers, screaming at kids who came to steal goods. Unfortunately, she was one of them, and she was currently running away from a seller whom she had stolen a piece of bread.

She skillfully glided through the crowd, fitting herself in the thin spaces she saw as an escape route. To her, failure was never an option. Perhaps… it was the reason why she was always successful to this kind of stuff; however, each success gave her the feeling of depression. It pained her to see how good she had become, and it was all due to the life she had been going through.

When she finally lost the fuming man, she sat beside a trash can near an empty alley, chomping on the sweet snack she had gained. It wasn't much, but with everything she had, she couldn't ask for anything more than this. She continued spacing out as she ate the bread she held so firmly. Too engrossed with the food, Juvia failed to realize the towering man approaching her tiny figure.

"YOU LITTLE THIEF!" Her head snapped up to watch the hand reaching towards her with wide eyes. Expecting a painful grip, she shut them tight on impulse.

She waited...

But not a single skin contact came…

She peeked through her lashes and witnessed a young woman tighten her grip around the male's wrist. The female had a short, dark purple hair which didn't touch her shoulder. Her onyx eyes were blazing with unknown emotions as she stared down at her cowering form. Beside her stood an albino around her age, staring at her with concern written all over his face.

"Leave the girl alone. I'll pay for whatever she had stolen," the woman said. The seller seemed to have read the message clearly for he had nodded and took the bill from the lady without another word.

Silence followed after the man left.

That cheater. _Liar!_

"You paid him 25 jewels… this bread costs 10 jewels, you know? You've been tricked."

Ur watched the little thief stare longingly at nothing. The way she looked as though she had nothing else to live for, it hurt her to witness the horrible side of the world.

Paying for a child's bread was the least thing she could do with her average social status. "Well, since you're safe, it's worth it."

Finally! The girl looked up from her position and stared at her with awe. The older one did not utter a word, but the small smile she gave her was enough to make her chest warm. It was the first act of kindness she had experienced in her entire life.

 _I've always thought goodness no longer exists._

"Juvia will repay you one day."

 _Sometimes, wonderful things just aren't visible to anyone._

"Juvia? That's a pretty nice name. The name is Ur. Anyway, I'll be looking forward to what you told me, kid. "

 _Because they're too precious to be seen by the wrong person._

. . .

. . .

Who would have known buying groceries could turn out to be this difficult?

Juvia glared at the boxes of milk in front of her. They were all milks but of different brands, and by different brands meant different quality. She had been on the same spot for about ten minutes now, yet she still couldn't choose which one was the best.

She planned on staying for a bit longer since there was nothing to do back home. Wait, maybe she'll visit Gajeel? Oh… right… he's out on a mission. He'd been away for two weeks, that only meant he would later have his day off.

"Juvia hasn't gotten her break." A sigh escaped her slightly parted lips. Usually, Jose would give them a day off when they worked nonstop during the entire week, but the last time she was given a break was three months ago. Mira kept on sending her messages containing her tasks after that, and surprisingly, her calendar was completely red from assignments.

She guessed this month won't be different.

In the end, no milk was bought by the woman who stayed the whole 15 minutes contemplating in front of the shelf.

Juvia came out of the store, holding two bulging plastics in both of her hands. The sun was shining with all its glory, and the thought of having a picnic suddenly appeared like a bright idea. The only problem was her overwhelming schedule.

She watched the traffic light turn green and halted from moving forward. Everyone else behind her followed after her lead, waiting for the signal for them to go on. Although, one hapless person seemed to be lost in her thought as she walked straight towards the highway.

People screamed.

Juvia heard them shout at the female, but she, unlike the rest, remained stoic. She never gave a damn about strangers, since it was the way how Jose trained her.

Still…

A loud honk from a delivery truck caught their attention, and in a flash, it passed through the woman on the route.

What? Passed through?

People stared in disbelief at the pair lying on the other side of the highway.

"Did you see that?"

"Yeah, it was unbelievable!"

"How can she move that fast? I thought it was too late to save her."

Juvia raised her head to meet the gaze of the stranger underneath her. Her photographic memory hadn't failed her so far, which only meant she really knew this person.

"You…" The lady's shocked expression changed into something grateful upon realizing the recent occurrence. She smiled down at her blue locks and ruffled it playfully, causing the younger girl to puff her cheeks.

"Thanks for saving me," she whispered.

Her smile was sincere… she could tell.

It had not changed since the last time she saw it.

She merely shrugged at the act of thankfulness, but the smile on her lips told a different story.

"Juvia is just returning the favor, Ur-sama."

The said person blinked twice from confusion.

. . .

. . .

Inside the Sabertooth headquarters, two high officials were playing the most difficult game of chess. The room was poorly lit by long white candles, creating dancing shadows on the velvet carpet.

"The force has improved a lot ever since the addition of Levy, Cana, Natsu, Gray, Rogue, and Sting. We've been accomplishing everything smoothly without much conflicts. The Science Department has been adding new technologies as well to aid the combat teams in their battle." Erza raised her white knight and pushed the black pawn out of its place.

Mira smiled down at her fallen chess piece before putting it on the edge of the board. "Don't you think you should include yourself in the list? The Sabertooth's achievements skyrocketed because you, you know?" She poked her rook forward, moving it two blocks away from its previous position.

The scarlet head glanced up at her best friend.

She can't remember how they became friends, but she did recall having her as her mortal enemy when they first met. They both started from dirt, but they managed to build up their own feared title bit by bit. Unbeknown to them, due to the similar hardship they went through to earn their current rank, their relationship had evolved into an unbreakable friendship. They shared the same happiness, pain, and the same story.

The story of losing someone important.

 _I have to say, I have more luck than her. She_ _ **lost**_ _her sister while the person I love, on the other hand, could still be alive… just missing._

A chuckle escaped her lips. "You make me feel so honored; however, it is not just me, Mira. Don't forget about yourself, too."

"Oh, you flatter me." She cupped her cheeks in embarrassment, and as for Erza, she wasn't able to stop herself from thinking how looks can be deceiving.

Getting over the comment, she watched the Special Branch Colonel glide her last rook along the checkerboard. The tension hadn't left the game even with all their silly conversation. Friends or not, they were always conscious of their record, competing in almost all things, even though there had never been a winner.

"Honestly, I can't accept your compliment, Erza." Unaware, Mira played with the head of her queen as she concentrated on her next words. "I am no good for Sabertooth… I… I'm only a burden… bringing nothing but trouble."

"You should try to stop being humble for once. Besides, I was just stating the truth. You won't be the Main Branch Colonel if you are what you say." Erza grinned at her, failing to notice how her companion's usual smile faltered for a brief moment.

The Strauss shrugged her shoulders before setting her attention back on their game. "That IS Laxus' biggest mistake… assigning me as the M.B.C., I mean."

She must have been dreaming when she caught a hint of malice in her sweet tone.

"Check," Mirajane smirked, letting go of her queen between her slender fingers.

There was a pregnant pause where the redhead glared at her opponent's piece.

"Damn it! I think I'm gonna lose," she mumbled.

A soft giggle caused her to look up at the person in front, raising her eyebrow in a questioning manner. There was a twinkle of mirth in her eyes, yet there was something different… an emotion she frustratingly could not point out.

"You **will** lose if you don't make a move. You can always sacrifice one of your people for the sake of your king, my dear."

Mortified by the idea, she gawked at the albino with a horrified face. "I will **never** sacrifice any of my people."

And that was what Mira admired about her; still, she wasn't as simple-minded as the great _Titania._ While they both experienced life and death, her knowledge and wisdom far exceeded hers. Erza believed in the power of will, that everything will be alright as long as the earth was rotating.

But Mirajane understood the rule of light and darkness far more better than her…

 _Situations won't always accord to your favor._ She thought bitterly, remembering the younger sister she used to have.

The white queen nudged the black one, a gesture which told them that the latter had just been eaten by the enemy.

Little did they know, their game was the foreshadowing of the tragedy that awaits them in the far future.

. . .

. . .

In a place where a simple apartment building was built, a certain assassin stared at the boxes outside the door on the left side of hers. To her right was Sting's room… so if she wasn't mistaking… there's a new neighbor! Excitement filled her senses as she clapped her hands in delight, but it soon faded after the door creaked open, revealing a very familiar man carrying a few items in his arms.

They gave each other a perplexed look, and what made things worse was their confusion being emphasized by a pregnant pause.

Nothing could be better than comprehension giving her a whiplash.

"You have got to be kidding Juvia," she muttered under her breath.

Slightly tan skin…

Those defined muscles girls can drool all day…

Droopy eyes and messy raven hair…

All criminals must have pitied her, because the guy was none other than Gray Fullbuster, and Sting just had to come out of his place and witness this.

 _A captain and a lieutenant from Sabertooth's Special Force?_

All she could think of was…

She's in deep shit.

. .

. . .

* * *

 _It's hard to remain out of trouble, especially when you, yourself, is trouble._

* * *

. . .

. .

I apologize for updating late. I only have Sunday as my day off. Please, try to understand! Also, I need reviews… *cries* give me inspiration…. I apologize again if nothing much interesting happened in this chapter, and so I'll try to make it up next time. By the way, someone you might already know will be appearing either in the next chapter or in the following chapter after the next one. If you don't know, then I'll give you a hint!

When there is Gray, there is Juvia. When there is Juvia, there is….

Haha! I think that clue helped a lot.

Review! Review! Review!


	5. Rebellion Case

. .

. . .

* * *

 _Shame on you if you fool me once_

 _Shame on me if you fool me twice_

* * *

. . .

. .

"Sting? I didn't know you live here." Gray eyed the approaching man with uncertainty. It was quite obvious they weren't hateful to each other, but if one was to describe their relationship, no one would dare say they were good friends, not even enemies… just mere acquaintances who met through work.

The blond wore the same look as he made his way towards them, hooking his arm casually around Juvia's neck as though he was doing it on a daily basis. "I've been living here for seven years. This," he said, pointing at Juvia using his lips, "is Juvia. She came during my sixth year here at the apartment building."

Gray was speechless not because of how the two interact, but because he found no interest in learning whatever Sting was blabbering about. Essential items and furnitures were waiting to be placed on their rightful places inside his room; thus, he had no time entertaining small talks. He shrugged his shoulder in a dismissive way before resuming his previous activity.

Getting the hint, the other male pulled Juvia by the shoulder, dangerously closing the distance between his mouth and her jaw. "He's not the sociable type," he whispered into her ear, causing a small blush to creep on her pearly white cheeks. One moment, Juvia was standing in front of him, the next thing Sting's brain processed was the shoulder in his grasp disappeared in a flash. Tongue-tied at the sudden turn of events, he openly spaced out at the empty spot where his hand awkwardly stretched.

. . .

. .

After arranging the furnitures along with the rest of his things, he sat on the floor and dragged the nearest box next to him. Folders, notebooks, envelopes, and scattered papers filled the container. Among all these files, one was labeled in red with capitalized letters.

It belonged to their extreme cases that were still on going. Specifically speaking…

 _File 003: Phantom Lord Case._

A file involving the biggest threat to the society.

He opened the folder and skimmed through it attentively, and it dismayed him how little their knowledge was concerning the illegal organization. Each pages were almost blank. No goals. Few descriptions. A couple of data from the assassins they managed to capture (who committed suicide before the interrogation). That's everything they had.

"I wonder what's their primary goal. As far as I know, their secondary goal is to accomplish whatever task their client gives."

He tried solving his own question by reading through the Phantom Lord's accomplishments… accomplishments that were also a huge part of Sabertooth's failures.

"This is troublesome."

Seeing no clues leading to the answer he'd been searching, he plopped down on the floor, throwing the folder up in the air at the same time. Pages disassembled while it span in the air like a frisbee. One, in particular, landed on his lap with the grace of a feather. Picking up the fallen paper, he flipped it over and stared at the photo on the upper right corner.

"Flare's data? What's this doing there?"

He scanned the remnants inside the box for a short brown envelope then shoved the crumpled page in. "This is supposed to be in the Oracion Seis Rebellion Case."

Ah, yes… rebels…

The major problem of the Council.

. . .

. .

Some time ago, they had this kind of meeting every after six months, where all Phantom Lord's assassins from class A to S convene to report the intel they had gathered during their previous missions, but things changed the second Jose began favoring those who showed more proficiency. Lately, only S-class members were allowed to step inside the conference room; in other words, she, Elfman, Gajeel, Mirajane, Kagura and Minerva were the only ones who occupied the seats since the deaths of Sol, Aria and Totomaru.

From what they heard, it was Scarlet and Eucliffe who defeated the three assassins, together with Alzack's team, the Main Branch Captain of Unit G.

"I'm sure none of you have not heard of the rising rebellion in the land of Fiore. Oracion Seis has been quiet for a long time, although yesterday, Lahar of the Council was said to be killed by them. Their leader sent me a message last night, telling me he wanted to join forces with us for our groups have a common goal." Jose walked around the long table while the rest of them listened closely to his speech.

.

"Of course, I accepted," he spoke in an awfully friendly tone, his fingers clipping on the dagger lying on the table beside Kagura. Everyone inside watched him raise the deadly weapon leisurely and throw it at Juvia's direction. She could see the tip of the needle nearing the bridge of her nose, yet the bluenette did not move or even flinch the slightest bit.

It was just a breath away when blood splattered on her impassive face. If they didn't know any better, they would have thought she was spacing out through the commotion, staring blankly at the bloody hand of Gajeel who was gripping the sharp metal tightly. Without losing his composure, he twirled the dagger and held its handle like a remote control.

One flick of his wrist sent it flying towards Jose's head at breakneck speed. If it was any other man, he would be lying motionless on the floor at that very moment; however, this was their boss they were talking about…

The person who personally trained all S-class assassins in the Phantom Lord...

He who hurled them into insanity.

Jose tilted his neck in time, dodging the dagger which could have ended his life in an instant. There was a glimmer in his eyes when he smirked at his two favorite students.

"Wonderful! You do not fear death," he cheerfully said to the unmoved young lady before shifting his attention to the person who nearly murdered him. "And you're not afraid to kill. Excellent examples!" His statement, somehow, caused Gajeel to grit his teeth from anger.

Of course, Jose wasn't ignorant of what the Iron Fang felt; in fact, he was very much aware of what his people thought of him. The only reason he let such insolence pass was due to partiality, and Gajeel had contributed a lot for the organization's accomplishments.

With a frown, he examined the dagger embedded in the far wall behind him.

 _High accuracy but predictable movements… let's fix that later._

"Now, where was I— Oh, right! I've accepted their offer since we'll need every help we could get to bring down the Council. This contract will benefit both sides, so I find no reason to decline the deal." There came a shuffling sound as he pulled a note out of his pocket. "To show our cooperation, I agreed to their leader's idea of collaboration. Starting today, you will go on missions in pairs; therefore, I expect each one of you to behave well with your respective partners. Am I clear?" They responded with a nod.

"Mira, you will remain independent, considering you're the spy in Sabertooth's police force; but for Kagura, I've put you together with Jellal Fernandes, and I won't ask your opinion concerning this." He could almost hear the snort that followed his last word, then again, he shrugged it off like what he had done during the earlier incident.

"Elfman, I think you are fine on your own."

"Because I'm MANLY!"

"Gajeel, you are paired up with Loke. I hope you won't mind his flirtatious advances."

"Wha? Does he swing that way?"

"Minerva— "

"Hey, don't ignore me, old man! This is my daily living we are talking about here! I don't want to be paired up with an annoyance!"

"Minerva, treat Zancrow nicely… although I hope he'll do the same."

"BASTARD, I TOLD YOU NOT TO IGNORE ME!"

"Iron Fang, is that how you go 'please notice me, senpai'? Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind taking our relationship into the higher level."

Gajeel didn't know what was worse between having a troublesome job or having a boss who gives the most embarrassing jokes. The way Jose said it with a blank expression kind of gave him the creeps.

The announcement continued to Juvia who had been waiting patiently for her name to be called. She didn't give a damn whoever her partner was, as long as this person wouldn't be a weight on her shoulder. A burden to be more precise.

"Juvia." She perked up upon hearing their boss' voice. She saw his mouth opening and closing in a way a person would to pronounce an unreadable name. He scratched his chin during the long pause. Was it a bad sign? Probably. After living her life inside the Phantom Lord's headquarters, she had learned to read his gestures like an open book.

Her partner must be a pain in the ass.

"I trust you enough to leave this rebel under your wing. She's a novice and needs proper training. I can't think of anyone more suiting than the prototype of this team."

Then, he spilled the beans.

"Arachnid, take good care of Lucy Heartfilia."

 _The meeting went on without further elaboration. We met our partners the same day. Lucy-chan is really pretty, but she obviously lacks experience in the field of elimination… the perfect rationale why I'm here annihilating the entire Kakureta Kage Village with my former partner, Gajeel-kun._

"Damn... this mission is absurd. Who would terminate an entire village just to show how big of a threat they are?" Juvia gazed at the higher branch where her masked friend was crouching down, peering at the innocent civilians passing by the tall tree they stood on. Once she realized the answer to his question, she unconsciously scratched the back of her covered ear and sighed. "Isn't that what Gajeel-kun and Juvia are doing now?"

"Correction: Iron Fang and Arachnid. Also, no third person speech, remember?"

 _Shoot! I nearly forgot._

The sun had set on the horizon, and the moon was currently shining in the bloody red sky, hidden behind the shadows of the dark clouds. At the top of the largest building, two figures went unnoticed by the slumbering villagers.

"Seven minutes." Her voice was nearly inaudible to him; nevertheless, he caught her words completely, hence, she received an imperceptible nod in return before they separated paths.

Gajeel wasn't surprised.

It really took them exactly seven minutes to finish the job...

And seven minutes for Rogue Cheney to finally comprehend what was written on the newspaper the next morning.

 _Massacre of the Kakureta Kage Villagers._

His family was dead.

.

. .

. . .

* * *

I am very sorry for the late update! Please leave a review!

Lilitharium, I already replied to your message. I am now waiting for your reply.

Again, I'm in a rush. Suppose to be cleaning my dog's poop. Bye!


	6. Training and Missions

_You never say yes_

 _Not quite no_

 _You say just enough to make me not go_

* * *

 _. . ._

. . .

. . .

Everyone inside the investigation room remained still the entire time. No one seemed to have taken a glance at the brooding man besides his best friend. After handing him the newspaper, Erza found no way of communicating to the lieutenant. Rogue didn't shed a single tear, but they knew he was agonizing deep inside.

Currently, it was only Levy who was speaking inside as the other members listened carefully.

"According to the information we have gathered, 60 percent of the villagers were brutally murdered while the remaining 40 percent died due to an unknown reason, although just an hour ago, Cana concluded that their deaths were caused by an unidentified poisonous substance. Killing in two different ways in one short night is very unlikely, so there must be more than a single criminal behind this, and I'm pretty sure one of them is Black Widow." The petite girl read the data she held too tightly, sweat dripping down her temples from the tension she was sure would block her airways soon if it lingered more than it should.

The colonel's demeanor suddenly changed upon hearing the name of the notorious assassin. She wanted to blame herself… blame her incapability to do something to prevent her friends' pain.

A slight stinging sensation on her palm caught her attention. She opened her fisted hands, revealing four small cuts from her nails covered by a small amount of blood.

 _It's nothing compared to his._ Eyes shut tightly from anger. _I couldn't do anything right._

Nobody uttered another word until a growl came out of the blond's gritted teeth. They stared at the fuming man with curiosity, taking note of the dark-haired officer who had not moved on his chair since the beginning.

"Erza," he called, making everybody turn to his direction. They waited for him to speak, and when he did, Levy never thought she'd hear such malice from the captain.

His whole appearance showed rage, but what shocked the colonel wasn't his look.

It was the demand that followed his next statement.

"Give us the permission to hunt those bastards down. Dead. Or. Alive."

. . .

. .

"Dead or alive, I am not doing that!" A shout boomed throughout the Phantom Lord's training ground. Gajeel forced back a snicker while he watched the horrified reactions of his former partner's new colleague. She openly gawked at the somersaulting bluenette who flawlessly dodged the bullets he shot directly at her critical points. The mentor, then, stood up and gave her apprentice an expectant smile in which Lucy returned with a gulp.

"He shoots too fast!" She pointed at the grinning male beside her.

Gajeel smirked before shoving the female towards the other girl. "Of course I shoot fast; I'm using two guns! Also, I'm not gonna be your attacker anyway." He said it as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

It took a few hesitant steps for Lucy to finally reach the prodigy. She handed her a revolver and said, "Practice dodging while holding a gun. Shoot if necessary. Take note, the more you move, the less chance of getting hit, just make sure that any part of your body does not linger on the same spot. Did you get all that?"

She didn't even manage to shake her head because Juvia had already tossed her onto the middle of the training ground. The cold metal of the floor slammed against her forehead, and that's when she realized _it._

"Wait… who's gonna shoot me?"

When she turned around to look at them, she saw Gajeel stepping out of the large arena, positioning himself behind the huge glass window on the second floor. Juvia, however, stayed at the far side of the area for closer observation…

She did not trust that smile one bit.

A switch clicked.

She surveyed the place as flashes of red appeared out of the blue, leisurely forming the shape of a human being.

' _Holograms have been activated. Defense level: Average. Offense level: high. Primary weapon: firearm.'_

"Harming you will cause our heads, so… good luck with them."

"EH?"

The loudest scream was heard inside Phantom Lord's headquarters afterwards.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Juvia and Gajeel stared at Lucy who got down on one knee to dodge the incoming punch from the faceless human hologram. Without getting up, she shot the artificial figure at the neck before swinging her foot in a full circle, successfully tripping the sneaky bastard behind her. Once she regained her posture, she pointed her gun at its head and smirked.

 _Last one._

She pulled the trigger, an indirect announcement stating that the game was over. A clap from the bluenette made her sigh in relief. At least, she seemed to have done a pretty good job.

"Not bad," Juvia said with a hint of amusement hidden beneath her chuckle.

"Well, I did learn some of my moves from the best."

"Oh? Who might this person be?"

The scent of peppermint leaves flooded her senses as a wave of nostalgia came rushing back at her. His toothy grin. His scarf they used to share every winter season.

His pink hair.

"A person from the past."

Juvia was just about to open her mouth when her left hand instinctively moved, catching the phone Gajeel had thrown at her nose.

"It seems like you have business tonight. Go prepare yourselves while I get Kagura."

. . .

. . .

. . .

His nose twitched.

Something's fishy.

"Anything suspicious?" He raised the radio transmitter to the corner of his lips and waited for the other members' reply. There was a static sound from the other line, followed by the laid-back tone of SFUB's captain. He did not have to be with the man to know he was getting bored.

"Nope. Nothing. How about there, Mest?" Sting heard him ask, but there was no response from the other male. This got them worried.

"Mest?" Natsu tried for the second time; fortunately, the familiar static sound greeted them again.

"Natsu, we have a problem. I lost contact with my people. Hey, Max, can you hear me? Shit."

Sting glowered at the crescent moon high in the sky after the feeling of dread ran through his bones. It was nearing midnight, the typical time _they_ become active.

"Don't leave your area. I'll send Reedus to check on your team."

"Thanks—" The line got cut without a warning, and the voice of Max appeared from the radio transmitter.

"Captain, Black Widow has been spotted! She's moving down the northern Veronica Tunnel!"

. . .

. . .

. . .

They had been silent for awhile, none daring to break the ice which had formed since they sat on the same motorcycle. Juvia was driving too fast for her liking, yet she did not utter a single word about it.

She expected the stillness to continue, so it surprised her a bit upon hearing the assassin's question out of the blue. "Scared?" The truth caused her to tighten her arms around the girl's waist.

Lucy, as a child, never dreamt of going against the government. Her dreams revolved around both living a simple life and having a profession that saves people from poverty, but her goals changed after discovering what the Council had done to her beloved father. She wanted revenge.

She did not care whether joining the rebellion would benefit her or not.

 _As long as vengeance is served, I'd be able to die in peace._

Deep in her thoughts, a tear began forming at the corners of her eyes. Juvia felt them drop on her shoulder, making her glance at the rebel behind her. Misunderstanding the situation, she squeezed her hands with one of her own and said reassuringly, "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll do great."

Lucy, with her head resting against the female's shoulder, smiled to herself.

 _Behind those notorious masks are people who fight for the right in disguise._

She remembered asking Jellal once about the organization. It was a long time ago; however, it was only this night she comprehended his statement fully.

"You're a softy, aren't you?" She smirked teasingly, only to receive a grunt in return.

"Hey, I was just kidding—"

"That's not it."

Confusion forced her to look ahead of the tunnel and notice a number of men blocking their path. She felt her heart skip a beat as Juvia quickened their pace.

"Remember the plan?"

She was hyperventilating, alright!

"Pretend to be Black Widow and distract the police? Wait! How did they even know we're here?!"

"Only Phantoms wear black cloaks and stupid masquerade masks nowadays."

Lucy struggled to catch the mask Juvia had chucked at her like a trash, scrutinizing it with curiosity before she secured it on her face. It covered the upper half of her identity with round rubies adorning almost every part of it, creating the haunting image of a spider's eyes.

"Ready?"

They were getting closer to the police force. Apparently, seeing all the firearms aimed at them, they arrived not to capture criminals...

Sabertooth came to kill them.

"FIRE!" Mest's command echoed inside the tunnel.

Their actions went in slow motion.

Juvia tossed a flush grenade right on the captain's face before his subordinates could pull the trigger. The very second the light exploded, Lucy jumped off her seat and started shooting at the armed men.

To their disadvantage, reinforcement came.

Sting and Rogue got out from their vehicles whilst Gray and Natsu continued moving forward, chasing the vanishing figure of the real Black Widow.

Natsu, who was driving the car with great speed, took a glimpse of the criminal Unit A and D were facing. He didn't know why, but the woman's movements rang a bell.

"Oi, flame breath, don't you think we're going a bit too fast?"

Literally, Gray felt like they were time travelling to the future. His fret only worsened after Natsu offered him a thumbs up, complimented by his goofy grin which he had learned to be a sign of something to be worried of.

"I'm the best driver Sabertooth has to offer!"

A quick turn to the left, then a vomit splashed on the front screen.

"NATSU!"

. . .

. . .

. . .

The moment they got out of the tunnel, Juvia looked down at the side mirror and watched the leading pair lose control of the car. They were swaying in different directions, nearly hitting innocent people during the process.

 _Are they drunk?_

Her sight shifted towards the gigantic pharmaceutical laboratory she was about to pass by. She peered through a certain window where a blue-haired man was waiting. When he found the perfect timing, he threw the briefcase a few meters ahead of her, and it almost landed in her raised arms.

The thing was... Natsu got to them first.

Juvia clutched her bleeding elbow as she hissed from the pain. She frantically searched for the case, giving the opposing force the chance to surround her. Her mind was solely focused on getting the item; hence, she ignored the guns pointed at her body and shakily made her way to the fallen container.

"Don't move," Gray shouted as he hopped off of the car with the other officers.

She didn't comply, and as a consequence, she took another shot on the leg.

Her body fell flat on the floor, giving her a wonderful view of the sparkling stars.

 _I guess there's no other choice._

Both Natsu and Gray approached her bloody form. Noticing her little movements, the former sent his lieutenant a questioning look. "What's she doing?"

The raven head watched the woman closely now that he was hovering over her. Fingers gripped on fabric, followed by a cloth being ripped apart.

 _Is she… stripping?_

His cheeks burned from embarrassment after realization had dawned on him.

"T-That won't work on us!"

Well, all good things won't last forever. If he didn't stare much at her ample chest. he could have seen the red numbers flashing on the object attached on her stomach. The gods must have blessed him for– at least– Natsu noticed the explosive. The pinkette rushed to his side and grabbed his collar roughly, dragging his best friend along with him.

"MOVE BACK! SHE'S WEARING AN EXPLOSIVE!"

Different curses filled the air while they distanced themselves away from the criminal.

They waited for a blast, but nothing came. Instead, the sound of an engine greeted them. There, standing beside the female, was another cloaked figure. He picked her up like a sack of potatoes, allowing her to go limp on his shoulder.

"How's Lucy?" Even in such a state, all she could think of was her allies. Jellal chuckled at this and began starting up the engine of his motorcycle.

"Don't worry, Kagura's with her."

Those words were the last thing she heard before her mind went blank.

In Natsu's case though… Lucy's name was all he heard from the two enemies.

"Lucy?"

Then, gunfires filled the place once again.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Several hours later, somewhere around the corner, a doctor was just about to close his clinic when a stranger barged through his door. In his arms was a woman covered with her own blood. He glanced between the stranger and the unconscious person within his hold, trying to place the puzzle pieces together.

"Don't tell a single soul. Heal her or else." The cloaked man didn't bother on stating the obvious. He knew the silver-haired man was aware that it was his life on the line.

He placed her carefully on the bed, and with her mask removed, he earned a perfect view of the female's appearance. Her half-lidded eyes stared into his.

"Please… take care of… Juvia."

He looked at her pretty face and showed her his warmest smile.

"I will."

He had no clue why, but he wanted this person to live… criminal or innocent.

. . .

. . .

. . .

* * *

Oh. My. Gosh. I kind of ruined my reputation to my parents. I have the worst luck, ya know! My father took a look at what I'm typing. THE PERFECT TIMING! He only managed to read the "Is she… stripping" part of Gray, plus the embarrassed description of his face. I badly wanted to say, "It's not what you think!"

Now, he thinks I'm writing porn. Really…. Worst luck, I say. Worst luck!


	7. Discoveries

_. . ._

 _. . ._

* * *

 _Betrayal is the key to hatred_

* * *

. . .

. . .

She failed her.

She failed Juvia.

She was obviously fighting a losing game.

Having to face two units of Sabertooth, the most respected police force in Fiore, had shoved her chances of winning down the cliff. As Sting hovered over her bruised body, she fought the urge to cry, stifling the first sob which had been trying to escape her lips the moment she collapsed from exhaustion.

Rogue scrutinized her state.

Her knees were bloodied from the deep gashes she'd ignored. The edge of her lips was beginning to turn into a terrible shade of purple.

There was no energy left for her to defy law.

It astonished him how the fight didn't last long. Usually, a battle against Black Widow would result into a tiring chase, explosives, several corpses here and there, casualties leading to Sabertooth's bankruptcy, and lastly, officers with empty hands.

He noticed a few things as well during their match. Black Widow's movements were very odd. Her attacks didn't seem too flamboyant and fluid, whereas in their latest face off, her motions were stiff and simple, yet dangerous if came into contact. Sting's swollen arm proved the point.

Rogue stared at the crippled criminal, pulling her up by the cloak and staring at her masked face. "We have faced Black Widow countless of times to safely conclude that you are not her," he said in a bored tone. He raised her chin for inspection, looking through his own reflection on the lustrous rubies.

"Your fighting style is different compared to an assassin. A previous soldier, perhaps? Your bullets aren't coated with poison either."

Before she could even blink, her hood was already down. Soft golden locks fell smoothly on her shoulders. She clenched her teeth upon seeing him reach for the last thing concealing her identity. It was hopeless.

Fighting was hopeless, she figured.

The tips of his fingers kept on inching closer to her mask.

Then, it happened.

The sound of a motor engine came, followed by someone jumping off the vehicle and smashing a gigantic sword on the spot where Rogue stood. The floor shattered from the powerful impact, blinding their line of sight with the immense dust from the demolished ground.

Lucy felt herself being lifted up. She gazed at the woman who placed her gently on the motorcycle.

A skeleton mask?

 _Kagura._

"Don't worry… Jellal has Arachnid." Kagura said this while she threw three consecutive smokescreens at the police in preparation for the vanishment of the dust clouds.

They didn't have the time to play tag with the cops.

. . .

. . .

 _Urgh… Juvia's head hurts…_

"Is she going to be alright?"

She tried opening her eyes but failed in doing so. Her leg felt like jelly, and it was damn painful to let her drift back to sleep. What made her condition worse was her numb limbs.

She can't move a freaking muscle.

Eyelids fluttered open, revealing the cerulean orbs hiding behind them. Mavis! The lights blinded her without missing a second. Her grumble caught the attention of both males as they towered over her form. The first one, she did not recognize. His silver hair defied gravity—if she was to describe him. His eyes were sharp, peering at her own with this calculating look.

Over all... he's cute.

Juvia had to blink twice to push the startling thought away. Honestly, she would have slapped herself if she could move her upper body; it was a pity she couldn't.

The second man, to her relief, she recognized immediately. Jellal sat by her feet, hands gripping the white sheet under his palms. Those familiar blue strands sticking out of his cloak were unmistakable, and even with the mask on, she was able to discern the slightly visible scar.

"You lost a huge amount of blood. It surprised me how you recovered… in three hours." He arched a brow. Her healing rate was abnormal compared to any ordinary humans. There wasn't even a single trace of wound on her skin where she got shot.

"For Jellal-san to take me here… you must be an ally. What's your name?"

He shook his head. "I'm a random doctor who your friend stumbled upon. The name is Lyon. Lyon Vastia."

Her mouth dropped open while she gawked between Jellal and Lyon. Oh, gosh… they didn't just drag an innocent person into their unlawful affairs, did they? "No. No. No. No." She slammed the back of her head on the bed repeatedly. She was supposed to return safely with Lucy— Right! Lucy!

"Where's Lucy?"

"According to Kagura, she's receiving proper treatment inside the headquarters. I didn't take you there because of your state. I remembered passing by this clinic, so I took you here instead since it was closer. I hope you don't mind."

Juvia, with all her willpower, forced herself to sit up straight and face Lyon. There noses were nearly touching as she glared at the dumbfounded doctor. They remained still for awhile, but when he batted an eye, a tint of pink started blooming on her cheeks.

She pushed him far enough to gain her personal space. "W-What the… w-what will happen to him n-now?" Curse Mavis for letting her stutter! The other bluenette scratched his chin in thought. "I'm not sure…"

The albino smiled warmly at his patient before poking her cheek in a playful manner. This earned him a charming pout from the offended girl.

"I promise I won't tell a soul. You can kill me if I do," he said nonchalantly.

Curiosity sparked.

She studied him from top to bottom, wondering how a normal stranger like him could remain calm in his current situation.

"Juvia guesses it's settled then. You'll be her personal doctor."

. . .

. . .

She wasn't home.

Throughout the year he had known her, it was his first time sneaking into her room, only to be greeted by darkness and silence. When he twisted the door knob, he felt something akin to dread crawl down his spine. It wasn't locked.

He did not know why, but his conscience was telling him to trespass and invade her privacy. Everything around him seemed disturbing, especially when he—a slave to the law—agreed to do what a police like him shouldn't be doing.

Without taking much further thoughts, Sting stepped inside the dull place.

 _Woah…_ He never imagined her to be this messy, since the last time he came here, her things were _really_ organize. The moonlight glimmered down through the window, giving him enough light to be able to see his surroundings. Walking cautiously, his feet led him towards the center of the room.

"Geez… we lost both Phantoms. Now, I don't have someone to complain to. Can't this night get any worse?" He sighed in disappointment. She was usually his comfort zone each time he failed a mission, and she would never disagree to whatever he says. That part of her made him love her company enough for him to seek her presence during his horrible days.

He was just about to leave when her study table caught his eyes. There was an open drawer.

He scanned the documents inside with boredom until he noticed something strange in their content. There were pictures, details, descriptions, and information which a simple girl like her shouldn't bother about. People he knew fully well had their pictures glued on the upper right corner of the paper. Some photos were crossed out with a thick black marker, and it just didn't help how the crossed out images happened to be those who had died by the hands of Phantom Lord.

 _What's the meaning of this?_ He scanned each page with the feeling of anxiety flowing through his veins. Heck! Even the Sabertooth members had their personal information printed on it! There must be a valid reason why these were inside her drawer.

 _Why does she have this?_

He surveyed the small area until something struck him. He dashed to her cabinet and slammed it open, and what he saw petrified him.

"Who gave Sting-kun the permission to enter Juvia's room?"

He could imagine her standing by the door, leaning on its frame with her arms folded under her breast. Everything in the world appeared to be child's play in her perspective; however, this had reached the limit. She had passed the boundaries.

"Juvia," he called, turning his head slowly to look behind his shoulder. "Explain to me… tell me what this is." He grabbed an object out of her cabinet.

"It is what he thinks it… is?" Her words faltered once she realized what he was holding so tightly. She swore her heart just dropped to her stomach.

Her lungs lost all air.

One of her ribcage must have gotten broken due to the pain she was currently experiencing. A pain from extreme humiliation.

The flustered female covered her lips with her palms.

In his bear hug was the body pillow he gave her during her first April Fool's Day in the apartment building. An image of a very naked Sting was printed on the smooth surface. He lain proudly on a cozy, sexy, red bed while he wore this cocky—but drop-dead gorgeous— smirk on his face.

"You kept it all along?" Tears began pouring down his cheeks in an exaggerated manner. His wail resounded throughout the apartment building, and she was sure she heard grumbles and complains coming from both upper and lower floors.

Her eyes disappeared under the shadow of her bangs as he continued to cry his sockets out. In one swift motion, Juvia pulled the pillow away from him and used it to pummel him for 15 minutes.

"Ouch! Stop it! I'm sorry!" He hunched and raised his hands in a poor attempt to protect himself from the young lady's assaults.

 _I guess I'm a selfish coward._

Another hit on the side.

"Stupid Sting-kun!"

 _I don't want to ruin the relationship we have._

A smack on the leg.

 _Because I'm scared._

Juvia's palm halted midway to his face when he suddenly grasped her shoulders, pushing her backwards until her body met the cold wall. "Sting-kun?" She gazed at him curiously through her long lashes.

He didn't respond.

Instead, he closed his eyes and placed a hungry kiss on her pinkish lips.

 _I'm afraid… afraid to lose the little chance I have._

He bit and licked like there was no tomorrow, seeking for the entrance he had desired too much for his sanity to take, and when she finally parted them, he hastily dove in. The wet sound of their dancing tongue conquered the deafening silence. That night, he realized, his tainted goddess can make the most wonderful music he would ever hear if he touched the right places.

 _I don't want to start over._

"Sting-kun," she whispered low in his ears.

He didn't know why, but his neck throbbed out of nowhere. His vision went blurry as his limbs trembled from the lack of energy. Although in a limp state, he managed to see her broken look before darkness took over him.

"This is just a dream."

 _Because it's the same with waking up from a dream that will never come true._

. . .

. . .

. . .

* * *

It's two in the morning. Sorry for the grammatical errors! Thank you for those who continuously leave reviews. I highly appreciate them. I have no idea if I'm doing a pretty good job with this, since the fanfic has little number of favs, follows, and reviews. Perhaps, it's the summary? Can someone give me a better summary? I'll give you credits, of course!

Anyway, next chapter has **Gruvia** written all over it! I laughed so hard, **TheLittleKittyMeows**! It does look like a **Gruvingon** fanfic. I like the term.

 **Please review!**


	8. Supremacy Examination

_If I could control my feelings_

 _I would never fall for you_

 _But love is not a choice_

 _Shit happens_

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 **. . .**

"We have three weeks preparation for the Supremacy Examination. We received the announcement yesterday night, and it seems that they plan to bring the Chairman of the Council on the last date of the tournament. I can care less for Hyberion, but for formalities' sake, all of you must stay alert and keep that fucking Chairman safe."

Everyone inside the room sweat dropped at their general. There were times his actions made them wonder how he got such an honorable position. His abilities may be extraordinary, but his care for the society was always questioned by people— even his younger brother did.

Erza sent him a reprimanding look. "Laxus, that's not a pretty nice way to describe that fucking hell of a bastard. Show him respect." She scolded him from her seat, only to gain more animated sweat drops from their subordinates. The Titania's chair was the first seat on the right side of the long glass table, placed beside Laxus' while in front of the Main Branch Colonel's.

The members called them the "Sadistic Trio", and they had a good reason behind it.

"Erza, Laxus," the albino butted in, "be nice to him. That barbaric piece of shit might have a crappy hairstyle, but he's still the chairman."

"I know, right? I mean, there's his hideous forehead! He should know how to hide it with his bangs."

"The pervert doesn't even have bangs!"

Yes, there's a good reason behind it.

 _How did it end up to Hyberion's hairstyle?_

Laxus glanced between the officials whose topic went from hair to the kind of shoes they saw the Chairman wore during last year's meeting. Thankfully, his cough cut their blabbering and earn back the member's attention.

"Alright! Listen, Sabertooth will win the 'Supreme Force' title like last time. I want a back-to-back victory. Whoever among you bring shame to our name will be kicked out, am I understood? Losing is not an option. Civilians call us cops, but we are no ordinary armed men in white suits. Those who attend this exam are a part of Fiore's secret army, so I'm expecting to see the soldiers within you. Toughen up, men! You are—"

"Hey! Mira, Bisca and I are women," Erza shouted, offended by his last statement. Laxus snorted at this. He forgot when he had allowed anyone to intervene his speech, although if it was somebody else besides Mira and Scarlet, he would be digging his own grave the second he opened his filthy mouth.

"Women?" His eyes searched the area with indifference. "Where? I don't see a single female inside this room."

"Hn. I'll take it as a compliment." Mira made a sweet smile before waving her hand dismissively. "Go on. Ignore the devil."

"Oi, you're the devil here."

"Oh, quiet down, Erza- _chan_."

. . .

. . .

. . .

Juvia thought nothing could be more embarrassing than the situation she was in last night regarding the body pillow, until she caught a glimpse of his crouching form by the door _inside_ her bathroom… she knew to think otherwise.

"KYAAAA!" She threw her soap at his direction. "What is Sting-kun doing here?!" The offender waved his hands frantically as he shook his head in denial. "Don't! Let me explain," he shouted before she could toss another soap at him. "I was waiting outside, but I thought you would assume I'm a stalker once you open the door and see me sitting in front of it. I didn't want to creep you out, so I went inside instead."

She didn't know if he was a pervert or just plain stupid.

Well, at least he was a bit of a gentleman. It was clear to her that he was trying his best not to look at her inside the tub. Why did she leave her towel on her bed again? This was the worst!

The gods must be punishing her, because the bathroom door suddenly burst open and knocked Sting unconscious.

"What's happening? I heard a scream!"

Gray stared down at the immobile body on the slippery floor.

There was blood!

His eyes landed on the woman inside the bathtub. She was gazing at him with a fearful expression; however, due to genetics and heredity, he unfortunately inherited his father's horrible interpretation skills.

"That guilty face," he said while he walked towards her, "I knew you were hiding something." He grabbed her wrists tightly, pulling them up against her will.

Now that the water left her body, she had nothing else to use for cover.

"What did you do to Sting?" He sneered at her.

She bit her lower lip and avoided eye contact. "P-Please… let Juvia go." Gosh! It was a good thing nobody was there to witness her plead!

When he noticed her squirming under his scrutiny, he couldn't stop himself from being aware of the mounds which were bouncing slightly from her little movements.

 _Oh…_

There was a loud thud.

If an outsider was to enter her room right at this moment, he would surely panic at the "murder scene".

She dragged the lifeless males to her bed in a vertical position. The space between them was a bit small, although it was big enough to contain two well-built men. Well, as long as they remained unmoving, then they're both safe from unwanted physical contact.

"Mou! I can't leave them inside my room, even though I'm ten minutes late for my meeting. Minerva will so kill me!" She watched the troublemakers murmur in their sleep as she stood near the edge of the bed. Sting had his drool on her fluffy white pillow while Gray, on the other hand, was covering her newly washed sheet with his blood.

 _Errr… blue and red do not mix well in my taste._

"There's no helping it." She took out two floral handkerchiefs and a towel from her cabinet, soaking them with cold water. Carefully, she wiped the crimson fluid off their noses. The first half of the short towel was used on Sting; the remaining half was then used on Gray.

 _He's burning._ Indeed, the latter's body temperature was above normal. He was sweating a lot, not to mention, he's breathing wasn't consistent. Despite his worn out appearance, Juvia couldn't deny the fact that the male was as attractive as the blond. Gray was the mysterious type. Someone who looked wise yet dumb, stoic yet friendly, quite irritable yet kind.

Sting's personality was almost opposite to the lieutenant's. He may flirt with other girls; nevertheless, the blond made sure he showed his loyalty towards the person he truly loves. He's bubbly on the outside, however, she knew he could be more secretive than an assassin like her.

 _Huh?_ Why was she evaluating them again?

Muttering things to herself, she put the hanky on Gray's forehead and wiped his body with the other one.

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips at the sight of the peacefully slumbering boys.

An hour later, she received text messages from Lucy, Gajeel, Minerva, Kagura, and Elfman. All S-class assassins were close to each other, so it wasn't a wonder whenever they would show concern for her wellbeing.

" _Juvia, why weren't you in the meeting? Your boss seems pretty mad. He's a lot more disturbing than usual. Is everything going to be alright?"_ – _Lucy_

" _Oi, poison girl, you're gonna get it now. Gihi." –Gajeel_

" _BE A MAN!"_ – _Elfman_

" _I suggest you go meet Jose this day. He's starting to think you're rebelling against him."_ – _Kagura_

" _Juvia, I don't know why you didn't attend the meeting. Whatever your reason is, it must be of significance. You almost failed your mission. Jose did not take it in a good way, especially your absence today. If you're going to make an excuse, don't try telling him you were still on recovery. He's not dumb. Anyway, I'll call you later. I'll tell you about the discussion. Jose has a seriously fucked up plan for us. Have an idea how fucked up it is? Dear, we're about to face the police without our disguise on! You'll understand once I've explained it to you."_ – _Minerva_

Guess she really was doomed.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Gray had been confined in her room for three days due to his high fever. He was silent during his first day because of his weak limbs. He had difficulties in moving his muscles, and it somehow worried the "caretaker".

On the second day, his energy seems to have returned, since he was able to complain at the bluenette, whining about heading back to his comfy room.

"You are still sick!" She slammed him back in her bed instead.

Regardless, nothing can be more annoying than Sting randomly appearing from every corner of her place.

She couldn't count the number of times she had kicked the poor man out.

On Gray's third day, she got suspicious.

Juvia expected him to burst through his apartment door after finally recovering from his disease, but he was just there, lying on the sofa as though he owned it.

"Isn't Gray-sama gonna leave?"

There was no answer.

He continued to sit there without a word; hence, she'd decided to wait for him to open up the next conversation.

She was cooking their meals when he finally talked to her.

"S-Sorry… you know... the ba-bath-bathroom in-incident."

Goodness! Here she thought none of them would dare remind the other of that shameful moment!

"Juvia will forgive Gray-sama if he will marry Juvia!" A faint blush adorned her cheeks before erupting in fits of giggles.

Upon processing her words completely, Gray figured he had the ability to choke on air. He thanked the gods her eyes stayed focus on the stove in her grip. If she had turned around, she could have seen his burning face.

Although embarrassing as it may be, his heart fluttered just by watching her laugh cutely.

At that time, he realized something.

Not a single objection passed his mind.

"Are you gonna give me my food or what? I do have work."

"Oh? What is this? Playing house? Who's our kid?"

"Shut up."

. . .

. . .

. . .

Rogue knew better than to mess with a fuming Sting. His friend broke the arm of his opponent during yesterday's training, and he couldn't discern whether it was intentional or not. The guy was foolish enough to brag his combat skills to the wrong man, which led him incapacitated the next minute. Even his the famous Salamander didn't even bother him these past three days.

Speaking of, he hadn't seen his lieutenant until recently.

"We will now proceed to innovative training," Erza announced. "Members of the Main Branch Department will be supervised by Col. Mirajane Strauss while Special Force Units will be under my supervision. Practice will start at exactly 9 o'clock and will end at 8 P.M. Lunch break…" She trailed off as she made a contemplative look. "Hm… if I see you slacking, expect lunch around 9 in the evening. In short, _dream on_."

Every face in the area paled, and the large, open space where the police stood turned white.

Erza stared at her watch and spoke her command with more power in her tone. "On the count of three, I must not see anyone of you outside the training field."

She closed her eyes and began counting— much to the underlings terror. They were two floors away from the field, and the fearsome colonel gave them three seconds to run for their lives. She's tormenting them!

Scrambling footsteps enlightened her eardrums.

"One."

 _Oops! I think somebody fell down the stairs._

"Two."

 _I'm sure Natsu is the one who jumped off the window._

"... Three!"

There they were, the hapless souls who just saw death crackling her knuckles for the beginning of their greeting.

"Mest and company," she called as she cracked her head from side to side.

"Consider this your endurance training for today."

And the most epic scream of the history was heard.

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Did I do well? Please, tell me! Did the supposed-to-be funny scenes made you laugh? Or should I work more on my sense of humor? I'm sorry if my english hasn't improved! I wasn't able to check for grammatical errors. Do you think I need a beta?

 **Next Chapter Preview** :

The upcoming Supremacy Examination is awaited, an event where all police force in Fiore gather and compete for the "Supreme Force" title.

"I've never seen them before. Are they new?" Natsu tilted his head towards the only cops in black. "Perhaps." Gray was about to turn his gaze back on the stage when something blue caught his eyes. There, in the middle of tall and well-built men, stood a familiar blue-haired girl with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

Now that he took a better look at the police Natsu had pointed out, he realized they were staring at them with mocking faces.

"Gray... I don't think Erza would like to see this." The captain whispered while staring at the general of Raven Tail.

Jellal caught his stare and smirked at them in return.

 **Please leave a review!** (If you don't mind…)


	9. Getting Acquainted With Your Opponents

**Author's note:** I'm sorry I haven't updated for a long time. I've been busy with work and other personal things. I'll be posting new chapters slowly, so I'm begging for forgiveness. Thank you for those who follow, favorite, and left reviews! **TheLittleKittyMeows** , I'm working on the fanfic I promised you before, but I'll be needing more time. **Giotto27** -san, thank you for your wonderful messages! **Guest** -san, there's no need to thank me, because I've planned to include Lucy since the beginning.

 **Important Note:** I know I said the Supremacy Exam is _annual,_ but I decided against it to make the event look more important and exhilarating. The exam happens every after five years, the reason why the characters take this seriously.

Also, I'm not good at describing outfits, so if you're wondering what Sabertooth's uniform looks like (I know I should have wrote this note in the first or second chapter), take a peek at my Profile Avatar (credits to the owner of the pic). Can you see Gray's clothes in the photo? Just change its color from green to white, and the same goes with the hat and cape. Their uniform has gold linings. In short, they're wearing an all white outfit with gold linings… I don't think I'm making much sense.

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He could feel the tension in the air. It felt as though they were inside a gladiator's' arena, where thousands of people watched them for entertainment. The ring seemed to reach about two kilometers, with an enormous screen flashing the image of the battle ground on the invisible barrier surrounding the entire field. He gazed at the sky and saw the picture of different logos being showed to the audience.

Sabertooth's logo came next.

The loud cheer from the crowd gave him pleasure, and he knew very well that his brother was wearing a prideful smirk at this moment.

" _After another five years of waiting, we welcome you to the 27th Supremacy Examination, where the whole police army in Fiore gather and compete for the most honorable title: the 'Supreme Force'."_ Sting felt his hair stood on edge upon hearing the announcer's voice. He glanced at Rogue who kept in line behind him along with the rest of Unit A. On his right was a thrilled captain with pink hair and a grumpy lieutenant one arm away from his back.

 _Last time's victory fell in the grasp of the 25th AND 26th victor of this special event. Now, will this group continue to hold onto the trophy, or will another name be written on the golden wall? Let's call upon… the most respected… the feared force… SABERTOOTH!"_

Screams, squeals, and thunderous claps filled the stadium.

His feet gradually led him toward the entrance door while the noise got louder in each step they took. When they finally came out and faced the crowd, they were met by the viewers' deafening roar and rude stares from the other competitors.

It was the last day of their training before they head off to the western forest, and they'll be sharing this day with the rest of the cops coming from different parts of Fiore.

Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel—

"Are they new," Rogue asked, pointing his finger at the men beside Mermaid Heel. They wore a long-sleeved white polo shirt under a black vest with silver outlines flowing from its V-neckline down to the slit— a pocket on each side of the chest area. The right side, however, displayed the silver badge representing their agency. A similar image of it was also drawn at the back of the vest in silver as well. Their unfolded collars reached just below their chin. Slacks were tucked in knee-high dark leather boots.

Their women were wearing the same vest, although it was dirty white in color, and their sleeveless onyx turtleneck shown beneath it. White camo cargo pants were tucked in their knee-high black leather boots like the males' had theirs.

"I think so." Little did they know, the same conversation was occurring somewhere near their place.

"I've never seen them. Are they new?" Natsu tilted his head towards the unfamiliar faces.

Gray surveyed the stony-faced group with bored eyes.

"I don't really care."

He was about to set his gaze back on the stage where Makarov was giving his speech when a familiar shade of blue made him double take. There, in the middle of tall and well-built guys, was a girl he will be able to recognize even hundreds of meters away. Her arms raised, crossing in front of her blessed bosom in an annoyed fashion.

It sort of worried him to see her bruising left cheek. _What is she doing here?_

"I don't think Erza would want to see this," Natsu blurted out all of a sudden, dragging him out of his reverie. He trailed after where the salamander was looking at and found someone who they thought was dead, since he had gone missing three years ago.

"Is that Jellal?," Gray choked out his question. " He's their _general_?"

Jellal—hearing his name— turned to them with a smug expression. Natsu frowned, finding the current events confusing at the moment. Things just became more perplexing when Mira ran towards the tattooed face and offered him a bear hug.

"Jellal! I can't believe you're alive! Where have you been?"

Oh, right! They were childhood friends together with Erza.

Jellal leaned into her ears and whispered, "Is she here?" The albino tried her best to hide her smirk by burying her lips into his shoulder. She had been teasing him to the scarlet head since they were kids, but the male would deny her accusation like the professional liar he was.

"She's not here. Probably talking to Laxus."

It was his time now to grin. "Is that jealousy I hear?"

"Jealousy? I'm not jealous! You're the one who's jealous! I can't be jealous!"

"I doubt it. Anyway, I'll pretend I don't know you, alright?"

"Of course! The amnesia thingy and got adopted by a newly formed police force plan!"

Juvia watched them do their act while huffing every now and then. Her nasty bruise kept bothering her, creating a stinging sensation that reached her temple. Jose had given her a horrible beating, even going to the extent of electrocuting her twice in one evening. It was his way of disciplining his pets, the perfect reason why she hated breaking a single rule in the list.

Suddenly aware of the yellow flash nearing her direction, she stifled a curse as she was tackled none too gently by a flying man. "Juvia," Sting cried out, "why didn't you tell me you were planning to work in a police force?" A waterfall of tears flowed out of his sockets. He rubbed his face against her like a father would after being reunited with his long lost adorable daughter.

"Sting-kun is squishing Juvia!" She whined, trying to push him away from her aching body. When he didn't show any sign of letting go, she used the most convenient yet risky way to make him do so.

"Sting-kun, stop! You're hurting Juvia!"

She was dropped in an instant. Now that she mentioned it, she did appear a little... messed up.

"What happened to you?" Concern shone in his eyes. She gazed at them with guilt building up in her throat. She attempted to swallow her shame, and she knew it would eat her up completely one day.

She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the announcer who took the stage once again.

" _We just received a message from the chairman... hmmm… it seems that things will be heating up more than usual!"_

The audience roared.

" _Mr. Hyberion sent the official announcement! This coming Supremacy Exam will be something more special… it has turned into an event that offers one of the greatest opportunity…"_

Makarov listened intently— beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.

" _We've heard of the unfortunate death of Sir Lahar, and his spot has been offered to the general of whoever the victor of today's Supremacy Exam!"_

The crowd may have become more livelier, but the rest of the competitors had this ghostly aura emitting from them. Nobody expected this to happen.

" _Is this a vicious battle I smell ahead?"_ The announcer pumped a fist in the air.

. . .

. . .

It turned out he was correct.

Sting forgot how to breathe for awhile as he watched Juvia sidestepped her opponent's fist, flawlessly evading the attack the fuming female sent her. She grabbed the pinkette's forearm and pulled her forward, a force which made Sherria lose her balance for a short moment, although that split second was enough time for Juvia to swing her foot towards the girl's tarsal and trip her down.

The pain of the fall caused Sherria's grip on the wooden knife to loosen, letting it land on the ground next to the winning fighter.

It was a good fight, she had to give her that.

Juvia scanned the crowd in search of a particular boss she'd been wanting to strangle lately. When she finally found him sitting beside Makarov, her glower deepened upon noticing the sarcastic yet expectant look he was throwing her.

 _Impression is your best ally, so make use of it._

His wicked grin elaborated everything she needed to understand.

 _Give them no reason to question why we'll receive that reward._

She gritted her teeth.

It was either get electrocuted for disobeying, or do his deed and ruin her reputation. She glanced at Sting's direction after carefully contemplating on her following move.

 _I'll have to find a new apartment._

"Seriously, he creates the worst strategy."

Then, an ear-splitting scream shoved the entire audience off their seats.

"MY ARM! HELP! MAKE HER STOP!" The female on the ground cried her pleas as she helplessly watched her arm being twisted in a disgusting angle.

Authorities and a part of Lamia Scale immediately ran towards the scene, pushing Juvia away from their agonizing comrade.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Are you out of your mind?"

Even with all their exclaims, she remained indifferent.

She obviously wasn't bothered by any of it...

And that's what sparked Laxus' curiosity most, especially since Mira had often made the very same face.

"Hey, Erza," he called, earning him the attention of the said person. She hummed her response without losing sight of the unraveling events before them.

"Are you aware of the darkest fact about betrayal?"

Erza's body stiffened from comprehension.

Subsequently, she clenched her fist.

She knew the answer, and it was difficult to accept it.

…

"Only those people who are close to your heart can betray you."

 **. . .**

 **. . .**

 **. . .**

* * *

I'm so sorry it's a short chapter! I'm trying to make it up to you, although I really got a lot of things to do. I've been losing sleep since I can't remember. We have seven nights in one week, and I only get 4 nights of sleep... three hours each. I hope you're not mad at me! I'm still working on the second chapter of Weapon Master for my Navia readers. Again, I apologize! **Please, motivate me with your reviews!**


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